Top six for Binder after Mugello MotoGP™ Sprint

MotoGP 2024 - Round 07 of 21, Autodromo del Mugello – Qualification and Sprint


Binder clocks the 3rd fastest lap through Q1 and seals 13th position in qualification. #33 then starts brilliantly and races to 6th
Miller doesn’t make the cut in Q1 and takes to the grid in 19th place. Under bright skies and warm temperatures the Australian completes the Sprint in 12th
Jose Antonio Rueda pushes his Red Bull KTM Ajo KTM RC4 to the 3rd best time in Moto3™ while Celestino Vietti satisfied the fan club with 10th in Moto2™ Q2

 
MotoGP gathered at another fast and spectacular racetrack for the second weekend in succession as the world championship moved from eastern Spain to the picturesque depths of Tuscany in Italy. For the 38th time Mugello staged a Grand Prix and brought Red Bull KTM back to the scene of their all-time top speed record of 366.1kmph, recorded by Brad Binder in 2023. For the seventh fixture of the current campaign, the South African and Jack Miller were accompanied by Pol Espargaro.
 
Friday dawned damp and cool and despite the threat of stormy conditions the track remained dry and typically challenging with the undulations, decent grip and many rapid changes of direction as well as long lean time. Binder and Miller almost made it through to Q2 directly: Binder’s best flying effort would have placed him in the top five but he just kissed the green track limits zone on the final corner and had the lap annulled. Jack was one of seventeen riders split by less than nine tenths of a second as he tried to refine his set-up. Amazingly Espargaro zipped along the vast main straight at Mugello with an evolved spec of the KTM RC16 and equaled Binder’s 2023 top speed figure!


 
On Saturday Q1 Brad was less than half a second from making Q2 with the old lap record tumbling in the same session. Jack was not far away but took 19th on the grid while a late spill for Pol meant 21st but still less than 1.5 seconds from Pole. Qualification led into the 11-lap Sprint in the afternoon. The KTM RC16s were quick away from the standing start, especially Binder who thrusted through to the top four on the first lap. Brad found his pace and had a busy scrap defending 6th place (five slots better than his 2023 Sprint result). Jack was a little further back in 12th with an improved package; two positions ahead of Pol who completed the Sprint at a time marginally slower than the race-winning effort twelve months earlier!
 
MotoGP will strain throttles for 23 laps on Sunday at 14.00 CEST.
 
Brad Binder, 13th in qualification, 6th in the Sprint: “I tried my best lap in Q1 but it just wasn’t quite enough to get through and I knew from 13th I’d need a good start…which is what I did! Our bike is a rocket. After that though I just struggled to turn and felt like I was going deep into every corner. We clearly need to improve something in that area for tomorrow and if we can we’ll be in great shape for the race.”
 
Jack Miller, 19th in qualification, 12th in the Sprint: “We were able to make some changes from Quali to the Sprint that helped with the vibration we’re having. We were not able to extinguish it, and at a track like Mugello where you need to carry speed through the corners then it’s important. We made a step though, and I could feel the front a bit more and push a bit better. I’m trying all I can and we’ll try and understand we need to do to eliminate it because it’s making us suffer in the later stages. Happy to have finished, and if we can try and improve tomorrow we’ll give it a crack to try and be in the group further forward.”
 
Pol Espargaro, 21st in qualification, 14th in the Sprint: “I was missing information on the limit with the package that we have at the moment and I was able to find some of it in qualifying! The Sprint was tiring but I’m happy. I was fine with used tires and could manage the lap-times but I had to get used to the turbulence of the speed and in the group. I lost some time for that but it’s one of those things that you get through racing. Some knowledge for tomorrow’s race.”
 
Francesco Guidotti, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “We made things quite difficult for ourselves and it started from Friday when we touched the green track limits and missed Q2. Q1 is always tricky. Brad made his best ever lap of Mugello but it was not enough! An incredible start in the Sprint and he recovered a lot of positions: we know it was difficult for him to do more. We’ve been struggling with a vibration issue for Jack since Friday and it’s been getting better and better but not enough for him to show us his potential with the bike. We’ll try and sort it for tomorrow.”
 
Grand Prix of Italy photographs can be found HERE
 
Results Qualifying MotoGP Grand Prix of Italy
 
1. Jorge Martin (ESP) Ducati 1:44.504
2. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati +0.043
3. Maverick Viñales (ESP) Aprilia +0.183
7. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 +0.524
13. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1:44.994 (Q1)
19. Jack Miller (AUS) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1:45.824 (Q1)
20. Augusto Fernandez (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 1.45.893 (Q1)
21. Pol Espargaro (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1:45.943 (Q1)
 
Results MotoGP Sprint Grand Prix of Italy
 
1. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati 19:30.251
2. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati +1.469
3. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 +4.147
6. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +8.271
12. Jack Miller (AUS) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +13.988
14. Pol Espargaro (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +18.259
17. Augusto Fernandez (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 +23.060


 
KTM GP Academy
 
Moto3 gave a preview of what will undoubtedly be a closely fought affair on Sunday morning with 1.7 seconds dividing 17 riders and a strong pace in the first outing around Mugello with the 2024 Pirelli race rubber. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Jose Antonio Rueda hoped to build on his second podium result of the season last Sunday with more bright competitiveness in Italy. The young Spaniard was 4th fastest on Friday and then captured 3rd through Q2 to ensure the front row of the grid for the sixth time in 2024. Teammate Xabi Zurutuza had his first taste of Moto3 speed at Mugello on Friday and Saturday and took a personal best 11th place by the end of Saturday.


 
Jose Antonio Rueda: “Very happy to be back on the first row. A good qualifying. It’s the goal. We’ve been working hard and I’m enjoying the bike. The race will be very fast tomorrow and I hope there are not too many riders at the front. There will be a lot of overtaking, as always in Moto3, and I’ll try my best.”
 
Celestino Vietti faced home Grand Prix focus in Moto2. The Italian was upbeat after his decent qualifying performance in Catalunya the previous weekend and podium potential. Around the Mugello curves ‘Cele’ managed the 10th quickest lap and will face the 19 laps starting from the fourth row. Deniz Öncü went into Q2 and was 14th fastest after Saturday and his latest episode of adaptation to the intermediate category.
 
Mugello saw the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies form-up for round three of seven in 2024 (races five and six). Equipped with a full fleet of KTM race machinery, the brightest and best of international youth waged a dispute on Saturday and the dash to the checkered flag was won by Spanish teenager Maximo Quiles.
 
Results Qualifying Moto3 Grand Prix of Italy
 
1. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO 1:54.194
2. Ivan Ortola (ESP) KTM +0.247
3. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.603
4. Collin Veijer (NED) Husqvarna +0.712
5. Daniel Holgado (ESP) GASGAS +0.918
7. Jacob Roulstone (AUS) GASGAS +1.015
11. Xabi Zurutuza (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +1:396
15. Tatsuki Suzuki (JPN) Husqvarna +1.706
19. Joel Esteban (ESP) CFMOTO 1:56.856 (Q1)
 
Results Qualifying Moto2 Grand Prix of Italy
 
1. Joe Roberts (USA) 1:49.877
2. Serio Garcia (ESP) +0.078
3. Alonso Lopez (ESP) +0.255
5. Darryn Binder (RSA)Husqvarna +0.469
10. Celestino Vietti (ITA) Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.628
13. Izan Guevara (ESP) CFMOTO +0.699
26. Deniz Öncü (TUR) Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.882
15. Jake Dixon (GBR) CFMOTO +0.919
27. Senna Agius (AUS)Husqvarna 1:51.584 (Q1)
 
PRESS CONTACT
 
Sarah Kinrade
PR Manager MotoGP
M: +43 676 7654200
E: Sarah.Kinrade@ktm.com